baja

1 hour ago, AngelEars said:

I can only hope this user reports them to PayPal then, since it seems that they are hellbent on keeping this policy. I kindly commented on an auction they have running, reminding them that making the buyer cover the fee isn't allowed and can get their account closed and the hid the comment and blocked me, so... :^)

I would err with caution at doing this to the artist unprompted, as it be viewed as harassment.

The artist is aware of the policy but chooses to push on regardless, that's their prerogative. Not a good one, but it is still theirs.

What I believe is lacking here, overall, is understanding and clarification as to the whys of the Paypal TOS and why their personal terms clash with it. 
OP here gave them the heads up, but we're dealing with a language barrier and tone is easily lost over text, especially if we're dealing with text translators. Personally, I think it would benefit them if someone were to note the risks of them doing their business this way, but that's more up to someone who is entering in business with them.

Not passerbys from this post.

On and off for the past year or so they always mention a backlog of commissions, and they've posted a good chunk of high-end adoptables for sale. Many of them at the cost, if not higher than your commission slot here.

So it shouldn't be impossible to refund you if with how frequently these design sales popped up.

I was watching them for so long and it just looked like a repeating pattern of 'life happening' so they couldn't work, but continued to do one-offs or open more slots despite journal after journal speaking about people who've been on the backburner with commissions and getting their work refunded.
Latiro's mention of the journal prompted me to look at it and the language does come off real scummy and manipulative, imo.

I've interpreted it as blaming a fed-up commissioner for her own shortcomings and lack of communication as the artist to her clients. And like OP mentioned, there's so many shouts with people wanting to know whats up with their pending commissions or refunds, but Mothux is essentially blaming them for the closure of her storefronts for quick cash.

Framed in emojis and flowery words really doesn't mask the lack of accountability here. Their work is really lovely to look at, but if they don't turn themselves around, it's going to bury them further in the hole.

7 hours ago, theodor said:

I was able to join this channel they have, but it has been dead; https://t.me/BluhunyWaitlist

If you join & scroll up in this channel, there's invite links to the "VIP" discord server as well.

You didn't need to do anything special to join it, it was meant to be some sort of priority slot list if you hung around. But the discord itself was not active, also worth a shot to see if you can catch BluHuny via discord to reach them wherever possible.

I previously had issues with BluHuny myself last year.
The commissions channel has not seen an update from them since last September, but they did not delete the account where I initially had contact with them for my transaction, the fuzzy timestamp implies that the account may not be active at the moment, but its worth a shot to maybe contact them there?


But with their track record at this point, who even knows, really.

Both names & number tags can easily be changed via discord, which can make it difficult to block people or report them for getting around your blocks.

Just as a general heads up for anyone asking for a discord tag, there's an ID that cannot be changed, and its accessible via Advanced Tools/Developer mode, and you'll be able to get a more definitive acct link in the event the individual might have access to Discord Nitro to change their #0000 associated /w their username 😆

Ah I was mostly curious to clarify that they'd be able to recoup the funds without having to bother waiting for Minami to suddenly turn over a new leaf.

And while the piece does retain the look/feel of a generic moe girl, the basis used was the OP's sona, which leaves an awful taste in my mouth overall.
If the piece received additional edits to remove all traces of the OP's personal character, I don't see it as an issue... but with how they treated their client makes me believe this was done in bad faith.

But at the end of the day it's up to the OP on how they view this, I just figured that they should be aware of this overall.

My apologies mods for double posting, I was attempting to edit my previous comment.
In looking at the artist's twitter page, it looks like they've sold the OP's fursona to another individual?

Screencap for posterity.
It seems like they finished the image in spite of the break down in communication. But it does not appear to be posted on their twitter for viewing.

Hey OP, with the transfer of funds in question, how did you send them to Minami? I'm not seeing that in your post, only mentioned.

For the most part, with most of the services I've seen used, I believe you're well within your window to dispute the charge to get refunded for this situation in full.
With Paypal, you're definitely in the clear as their window is 180 days.

You're getting EXTREMELY close to the end of your six month window, Varek.
I wouldn't let this go past that at all with the amount of money you paid for the badge, go through paypal for your refund, or you're without options afterwards 😞

Hey OP, have you tried contacting Bluhuny since you made your post?

Local friends of mine who attended PawCon this past weekend as vendors were stationed near his booth, where he was also vending.
As I was told by him when I attempted to commission him back in January, he "only" opens up slots for more commissions via Cons as a vendor, so there's a strong possibility that the queue has grown since you made your post here.

Definitely push for your refund before it gets buried with his backlog!

I do have some questions regarding your end of the transaction here...
Are you requesting a full refund for this commission, or just a partial one at a loss?

Looking at the references, it is very plain to see what was missed, but it does read as your character to me when I compare the references.

With that said, why did you provide two different references of your character? Looking at the refs, the colors and proportions of key elements you make note of are rather different between both refs. Its difficult to discern the proper color palette to be followed, the shape of the ears and how much space their chest fluff is supposed to cover.

Depending on which ref the artist chose to follow, it is easy to see where things may have been misunderstood from their end. They absolutely should have provided you with a WIP before completing the work, but I feel like this is where you made a misstep in the commission process.

I would also take note that English is not this artist's first language, which makes it all the more important to be clear on certain aspects of your character's design that you deem absolutely essential to their portrayal.

I speak from experience from my first posted beware, where I completely fudged it up on my end by doing just that; conflicting refs & not being clear whatsoever on key deets.

Not a happy situation on that one either. I personally let it go as a loss to myself, and I would recommend the same in all honesty.

I don't think you're entitled to a full refund, as the services were fully rendered from the Artist's end.

On 10/31/2019 at 2:07 AM, InklopBunny said:

I can’t do a transaction dispute with my bank, because it’s been too long.

Did you contact Square directly about your issues with Vani?
https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5060-refund-overview
Right here it says you have a full year to be issued a refund for a purchase not made via mobile.
You're not without your resources!

Square payments are processed through your Credit Card's end if I'm not mistaken?
You should be able to either go through the platform or contact your bank directly to force a refund.

Vani has one of the worst track records in the fandom, so signs point to ??? on if you'll either be refunded directly or get your items.

I had similar issues with BluHuny myself earlier this year, but once I made it clear that I wanted a refund, he actually followed through with it.
Though with quite an arrogant attitude about it tbh.

I see that in his telegram group, he outright states that he should be contacted on his new account?
It's really confusing, and honestly, he's very disorganized as far as his work ethic and the way he handles his backlog, so I would not be surprised if it was some form of deterrent to avoid backlash in this format.

This is directly from the queue group, but its almost coming up on One Month since the last update they made on it, the 28th, like seen in your caps.
I'd say just directly contact him, to at least state you'd like a refund and give him an ETA of about a 48 hours to respond, then go through your credit card company to file the chargeback if he is not willing to work with you.

I have seen other dissatisfied BLFC customers posting about him sporadically on social media, so I don't think you're the only one whos wholly dissatisfied with his lack of professionalism with his own work.

Oh! And if you still have access to the Queue Channel, it'd be worth scrolling up to grab the ""VIP"" discord link, as it is entirely possible that BluHuny might be avoiding telegram and tending to the other platform. Though, from what I saw there, its a really quiet/dead server s:

Sorry if this might be an odd question, but when you were prompted for payment, did they make any indication of how to send it?
(Like, outside of your posted notes)
A few years ago, back when they were actively posting and advertising their icon commissions, when I inquired about working with them, they were *adamant* about receiving payment via gifting options and not service ones; I def took my business elsewhere after that.

The only reason I ask is despite the time anyone, yourself included, spent waiting... if he was still insistent on skirting paypal fees... he also sabotaged his commissioners from taking proper recourse via disputes on the platform before his owed commissions/refunds got to that height.

Which, boy howdy, is quite a feat in itself.

In doing a little digging via the page...
It looks like the artist they duped in to this commission doesn't speak English natively, and while I don't like to speculate wildly, given the extreme that this individual went to with your personal character, it gives me the impression that it was done intentionally.

It isn't unheard of for people to pass off other characters as their own and then pull something like this, but picking someone who doesn't have a fair grasp of the language reeks of another shade of shifty business.

Though, Celestina def has the right suggestion that you may be able to pull the images with the support of the very same artist who was taken advantage of by this person.

I believe the difference here is that the individual has Ko-Fi Gold, rather than the base, free service that Ko-Fi offers!
With Ko-Fi Gold, you're able to offer commissions via the platform in a formal manner. Its an actual commission widget for someone vs the donation doodles a lot of artists tend to offer.

So, I believe that the client would be able to file a claim if this was the case, rather than expect to be refunded by the artist themselves.
But it is as others have said, unless someone's upgraded to a business account, they would be outing their personal information to the person in question. Which is wholly understandable if you'd rather not disclose any of that sort of thing.

But OP, check if you actually commissioned them via Ko-Fi Gold's official commission means, and it may help you file a claim on your end.

Yeah, as someone who also struggles with their own mental health, it rubs me the wrong way to see this suddenly being thrown out there as a reason to basically turn tail and flee. You gotta own up to your mistakes, even if its a colossal one like this.

I saw the listing/post via ToyHouse myself when I was browsing the site some weeks ago and I worry that it might actually be the same design being tossed around outside of this double-dip sale they pulled.

This particular design was the only Poofy design I saw them advertising via the forums.

Sincerely hope that this is resolved in your favor.

I'm not sure if the design has also been traded in addition to the double sale you're involved in?
They're posting designs they've gotten in trades for sale and they make note of the value of a Poofylion design being the reason for the cost?
 

Its kind of confusing so I sincerely hope they didn't try to dupe THREE people in to taking this design? They're going about this in a really uncomfortable way with their emotional manipulation.
Were you able to file a chargeback for this purchase, or were you refunded at all?
On top of that, I think, given the situation, it may be worth actually reporting them to TH staff because this is very much a scam and that's a LOT of money to "accidentally" get twice over.
You cannot feign ignorance and blame your mental health as the reason for this when there's quite a bit of proof against them.

Even with the conflicting references of the character, Camaro is clearly a COUGAR.
There should be no ambiguity about the details when you know what animal to use as a base for the head! Even the example posted above shows that their wheelhouse is not in Big Cats.

And this isn't the first time that Lemonbrat has taken it upon themselves to make calls on a commissioner's order without proper communication and discussion with the client.

Camaro invested quite a bit and there were missteps but Lemonbrat played with a lot more money than a mere reference commission would warrant, their projection upon the client is not acceptable and if anything was uncalled for. This should have been communicated extensively between the two parties before making headway towards finishing the suit with their deadline. Multiple users have stated that their knowledge as suit makers should have been used to guide Camaro towards a mutual understanding, this clearly wasn't happening.

There should be a complete overhaul on Lemonbrat's behalf to better their communication and delegation of the work put in to these suits. A project being passed down through multiple people of varying skill level does not bode well if there's issues that aren't being addressed, and then we end up with the suit that Camaro is expected to receive.

If you're marketing yourself as a brand, set a standard and maintain it well, because all we're seeing as a collective community is that the standard is quite low, and it doesn't look like it'll get better. For the money spent on the project, you need to be on your A Game with your A Team, not trying to put out the fire once it's gotten out of control.

If your issues stem from their website, they will act and remove the user in question/close their account.
This is strictly speaking from ToyHouse's end of things.

There was a user who exhibited a lot of questionable behavior via forums I used to admin, and eventually their behavior bled on to ToyHouse and dA. While my team and I had taken care of them on our turf, we couldn't do anything for other sites aside from letting them be aware that a user with a history of theft/scamming was active via their platform.

The situation was handled via TH when they were reported en masse for their poor behavior.

So they will act, as long as things stem from their end. If you were a victim via dA or another site and nothing happened via TH, then it is clear they can't do anything and won't be getting involved.

If your stolen/scammed characters were uploaded to TH and you want them removed, they'll definitely be able to help you out; you just can't report someone as a third party x:

On 7/21/2019 at 11:25 AM, Nico89 said:

No, it was sent as goods.
I am aware of at least 6 other people she has done the same thing to.

I know it was sent as goods, but your message to them clearly says to not send payment as goods/services.

If it was to avoid paypal fees, you're going to get yourself and others in trouble since that is STRICTLY against their TOS; its a minor fee which is the cost of essentially keeping the service free to use.

The beware is absolutely valid, I am not disputing that at all. But it is an extremely poor business practice to expect to be paid for goods via the gifting option.

Wait.
Did you tell them to send payment as a gift?
Clearly they didn't as there was an ability to file a claim, but uh... Don't do that?

While the situation is bad with the theft, it doesn't look right to take payments as gifts when you're clearly selling them intangible goods s:

Shantayz has a history of scamming & defrauding others in other furry communities so it does not surprise me in the slightest that she's taken on this stance. She started off on Furcadia, where she ended up stealing premium items and smaller things of the sort, but I definitely remember her butting heads with artists in the past too.

Sadly, all of the records of her past discretions were lost when the forum I moderated for was shut down by our admin without our knowledge.

But she is a troublesome individual, and her behavior hasn't changed in nearly a decade it seems.

It's unfortunate that she lead you along like this and went for some severe emotional manipulation with you, but I will say in knowing how she has affected others, it is unlikely you will see your finished mod from her.

With that said? You shouldn't have proceeded past the sketch phase on this piece without her showing you some form of WIP for the mod. The image is rendered now, but you have the sketch still? So perhaps you could repurpose it as a YCH for someone else to recoup the loss, if you're able to.

For future pieces, be they art trades or commissions, be sure to fully watermark the piece, send a low-resolution version of the work to be done and do not finish it until you receive compensation for your work. 

You may lose out on something, even if you do take precautionary measures, but its easier to salvage a sketch vs a fully rendered piece >:

You keep bringing up 'external issues', citing them as reasons for your aggression, but they are not included within the post. If it pertains to your circumstances with this commission, then they should have been included in your initial posting if you consider these things to be of great importance.
You only continue to vaguely allude to them, but you do not provide proof of this conduct against you.

The external situation either pertains to this situation or it doesn't, you should decide where you stand there vs continuing to prop something up that comes off very 'he said/she said'.

If the things said are ultimately unimportant in the realm of this post, then you should drop them all together and not use them as a justification for yourself, plain & simple. The conclusions drawn are only to this point because of what we as a community can see in this post, with the information provided and your subsequent responses.

Putting the onus on the community is kind of ridiculous when the burden of proof is on you as the OP to this caution post x: